Good governance is when state, society and markets deliver together

Decentralized community action and collaborative governance are the keys to better outcomes, particularly for complex issues with numerous variables, a leading executive has stated. This consensus is echoed by top municipal commissioners, including those ranked highly in the Swachhata Sarvekshan awards. The Indian Express, my source for this story, is currently selecting district magistrates for the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Governance Awards, and every successful proposal highlights the importance of community participation and collaborative governance.

The success of the National Rural Livelihood Mission, with its 100 million women members in 10 million self-help groups, also demonstrates the power of large-scale collaborative governance and decentralised management.

The "Viksit Bharat" vision can only be achieved through collaboration among the state, society, and markets. To improve the quality of outcomes at scale and create a truly inclusive society, six factors must be considered: decentralized community action, collaborative governance, women's agency, technology as an enabler, accountability, and public trust.

India has made significant progress in economic growth and development, but vulnerability to poverty, low wages, and a slow improvement in social indicators remain challenges. New approaches are needed to address these "wicked problems," and evidence shows that interventions with public trust, professional involvement, public information, and community engagement yield better results.

The success of initiatives like the Green and White revolutions, Rural Livelihoods Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen, literacy campaigns, and watershed development points to the positive impact of collaboration. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Sikkim have reported gains attributable to this approach. Despite centralization being a norm due to democratic electoral processes, dysfunctional institutions, weak accountability, and lack of community validation, a new approach to impactful governance is necessary.

Local governments, women's collectives, and community resource persons can create accountable governance and public trust when provided with untied funds, professionals, and local government institutions. Urban governance challenges necessitate institutional reforms, including direct elections at the basti level to ensure legitimate and accountable governance close to the community.

Community organizations, such as women's and youth collectives, should work with elected basti-level leaders to deliver accountable governance with necessary funds and resources.